Hapag-Lloyd is set to overhaul its West Africa Express (WAX) service from this month, strengthening direct shipping links between the Mediterranean, Türkiye and West Africa, including key Nigerian ports. Under the revised service, the German container shipping giant will introduce direct connections between Damietta, Egypt and Valencia and major West African ports, offering shippers improved access to and from the region.
For Nigeria, the revised rotation will retain calls at Lagos, covering both Tincan Island and Apapa ports, as well as Onne in Rivers State, reinforcing the country’s position on a major Europe–West Africa shipping corridor. The new service will also enable Damietta to connect with other Hapag-Lloyd services calling at the Egyptian port, potentially widening routing options for cargo moving between West Africa and other international markets.
Hapag-Lloyd said the revamped WAX service would provide greater operational flexibility and improve schedule reliability. The revised network will also create a direct connection between Türkiye and Valencia. Casablanca, meanwhile, will no longer form part of the main WAX rotation and will instead be served through a separate feeder service, with cargo connecting via Valencia.
The revised port rotation will run from Damietta to Izmit, Gemlik, Istanbul, Valencia, Tangier, Lagos (Tincan/Apapa), Onne, Cotonou, Tema, Lome, Tangier, Barcelona and back to Damietta. The first announced sailing under the new arrangement will be the Merkur Ocean voyage 2639S, which is expected to arrive in Damietta on 21 September 2026.
The changes come as shipping lines continue to adjust West African networks in an effort to improve reliability, optimise vessel deployment and provide more efficient connections between African markets and global trade routes.